I can’t help but like Romy Mars’ nepo-pop

Last summer, Romy Mars came out of hiding and dropped off a two-song EP. For those who knew her, it was a bit of a surprise. The daughter of renowned director Sofia Coppola and Phoenix frontman Thomas Mars had been on an internet time-out of sorts after she posted a TikTok in 2023 claiming that she was grounded for stealing her father’s credit card to charter a helicopter to visit a friend and that her parents had banned her from having public social media accounts. In that since-deleted, viral video she explained why: “They don’t want me to be a nepotism kid but TikTok isn’t going to make me famous,” she said. She ended up being right about half of that statement; when her EP came out, containing the two pleasantly sunny singles “Stuck Up” and “From a Distance” and courting press from Vogue and W Magazine, it wasn’t TikTok but her burgeoning pop career, that made Mars famous.

Almost exactly a year since that EP Mars is now dedicating herself to defying the other half of her parents wishes: becoming known as a nepotism kid. On her latest single “A-Lister,” released at the top of May, she seemingly digs her heels in the undeniably juiciest part of her identity, singing about meeting actors and never being on a wait list as a non “real” girl over a pulsing beat. But Mars hasn’t stopped there. On Wednesday, May 28, she unveiled its music video that’s directed by none other than her mom, Sofia Coppola — a statement considering Coppola only makes music videos with legends. However Mars managed to convince her mom to get on board, one thing’s clear: she’s certainly not hiding herself anymore.

If it were by any other nepo-star “A-Lister” would a non-event, a headline to roll your eyes at and move on. But Mars imbues the song’s ostensibly vain premise with compelling enough friction to make you care. A closer read of the lyrics sources tension in its candy-coated lyrics about loving that “West Coast, scenе-y plastic world,” doing lines, and having hollow flings. This “the glamorous life isn’t as what it seems” messaging might be tired by now, but for an 18-year-old with a record of shirking expectations, her self-awareness feels earned — as does whatever point she’s making with having her mom direct the video, a decision that was surely a mix of convenience and fourth-wall commentary. Combined with its non-flashy, breezy beat and what can I say, consider me intrigued.

These decisions make Romy come across as genuine even when her problems are of a different tax bracket — which does a lot for any nepo trying to make a name for themselves (the only thing worse than a nepo baby is a clueless nepo baby). Plus, where it does matter in her music, it seems Mars is choosing a more authentic route. Rather than hitting up a major and working with someone like, say, Dan Nigro, which is totally within her realm of possibility, her songs have all been made in partnership with Claud, an if-you-know-you-know singer and songwriter whose relationship with Mars reads like mentor and friend.

As the nepo baby morality wars have raged on, one thing the internet has made clear is that, when it comes to nepo babies, denial and defensiveness is what really turns the public off; you’ll get further in the public’s good graces if you’re just, like, chill about it like Jack Quaid. Judging from her music Romy Mars knows exactly who she is; that’s makes me want to know her, too.